Even though I feel many days that "I got NOTHING done" - I can look back on the last 7 days and know that progress is being made.
Artistically: I was juried into another regional exhibition for contemporary art - this exhibition will be at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, TN - a jewel of an art center, literally, in the middle of nowhere - but they have fantastic exhibitions and programs. This is their 10th Annual Regional Exhibition covering all of the Southeastern States.
I will be exhibiting SANCTUARY, 36" x 36" x 36", Mixed Media Installation. Materials: vintage crinoline/lace/wire/bird's nest/robin's egg/kozo paper/ink/encaustic.
The viewer will bend over from the waist to look down into the assemblage, which will be installed on the floor.
After creating this piece I saw A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS and I was enamored of the ending where he mentions that the Boudelaire's "found a sanctuary, no matter how small" everywhere they lived.
As a woman/human, I feel I have to maintain an inner sanctuary where I can go - it is where I hatch my plans and nurture my soul.
The second piece that will be exhibited is "MYTH OF INNOCENCE", an altered rubber doll. 9" x 4" x 3" . . . it refers to some personal icons (safety pins) and the idea of our outer shell (here a girl in her "Sunday best" underclothes and shoes) and our inner strength and resilience (the built-in altar).
Materials: Found 1950's rubber doll, vintage lace, acrylic paint, liquid lead, acid, gold-leaf, safety pins (represent the "christian" school dress codes which required safety pins in all slits of skirts and between gaping buttons, and to hold down wrap-around skirts, etc.)
I would love to hear back from you, my wonderful viewers/readers, what these art pieces say to you, I learn the most from feedback and can never really be offended as I know all comments are useful to my future pieces.
So, what do you think? Do you see any universe symbols that I didn't even realize I used?
Personally:
The studio is coming along and I only have about 3 more van loads of supplies that my wonderful hubby, Donny, is promising to get out of storage this weekend. Isn't he gorgeous???? We celebrated our 17th anniversary this weekend, not counting the 1.5 years of living in sin before . . .
Here he is on the boat between Murano and Burano, Italy. Our first day there after about 20 hours of planes, trains & boats . . .
Anyway, I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for his belief in me and his support through the college years, the paxil years, the pregnancies (9 mos. x 3 of puking and hospitals and bed rest), births, breastfeeding, and he is always the primary caregiver once he is home . . . he is a catch! And, no, you can't have him - I am his, he is mine.
We don't believe in any of that - you complete me, Jerry McGuire BS - we are each independent beings with our own interests - he plays tennis, basketball, and Tiger Woods Golf on the Wii, and he is a very gifted nature photographer
. . . I paint, antique, read, blog, photograph, knit, crochet, bake . . . and we let each other have our own fun and then get together for major fun - together we like to hike, kayak, make up CSI homicide scenes (then photograph them), no kidding, play Wii, scout out waterfalls . . .watch the birds . . . it is a simple life (except for the 3 busy kids!)
Work: so now I am working on 15 ink illustrations for an art history book: Faking Ancient America by Dr. Nancy Kelker and Dr. Karen Bruhn . . . I also created the cover art of some "fake" Pre-Columbian masks. I am also working on finishing the Vincent Van "Cr"ogh Scarecrow for Cheekwood Museum.
I'm busy, but happy.
Spending lots of time on Haven' Kimmel's blog
www.havenkimmel.com and then remember I might want to actually post on my own!
Here are some updates on the kids:
Claire, turning 6 in 2 weeks, is enjoying 1st grade and making many new friends. She is wild about the new tire swing we hung up in the 300 year-old huckleberry tree we are lucky enough to have in our backyard.
Here she is being the main nurturer for SNAPPY, our new, tail-less kitten. Snappy is named after Lauren's favorite Monday night restaurant, Snappy Tomato, the pizza buffet.
Other names we considered: Waldo, Pompeii, Ash . . . Snappy won out. But Claire and I usually call her "OOpsey!"
Dylan, the soon to be 16 year old is busy taking driver's ed (god save me), ROTC, Drill, Forensics and Latin Club - he is busy! He continues to astound me with his philosophical insight, intelligence, and purity of heart. We are blessed to have a gifted mentor for him at his school, Ms. Z, who is always there for him as he navigates his way through an athletic crazed school, below his level teachers and classes and generally helps push him from behind while I coax from the front - two more years and he will be off to college - we have so little time to prepare him for the big world.
Dylan also has this great taste in music: Beatles, Tom Petty, Peter Gabriel, Rolling Stones . . . it goes on and on - and he is an actor and even sang 2 solos in the MusicMan this summer at the Algonquin in Manasquan, NJ - I can't wait to see what he decides to do for his life's work . . . we are so proud and admiring.
Lauren, 14, has started babysitting and otherwise spends her time on-line, on her cellphone or chattering incessantly to me after school, and to us after dinner, and until we tell her to go to bed . . . she has been doing egg experiments: you soak an egg in white vinegar for 24 hours and the shell dissolves (she can tell you why), then you just have the membrane sack, the whites and the yolk, which you can see, and pick up and it is like jello (don't squeeze)....then you soak it in food coloring water over night and turns that color, but translucent - it is so awesome, she says you can throw it at something and it will splatter everywhere - it is gorgeous and I want to photograph a bunch of them. Lauren is so gorgeous and beautiful and I am frozen in fear for her in this big bad world.
so, we are busy - the kitten knocked over the hermit crab tank, the moles are taking over the yard, I have 52 mosquito bites . . .
but all is well in our little corner of the world.
sher
